It's 1:50am... where's your cell phone... oh, next to the chair in the living room... where's your flashlight... in the back of the drawer, under all the other stuff piled in there... where's your gun... is it loaded... is the safety on or off... is there a round in the chamber... can't remember when you last checked it... where's the spare magazine... where's everyone else... asleep... in the family room watching a late night show... at work... did you lock the doors... did someone else... who was supposed to lock the doors... is your heart pounding?
What woke you up at 1:50am... was it a sound...an intruder... a weather alert or tornado siren... the smoke alarm... the dog barking... how do you assess the situation... what's the plan... how do you communicate with the others... what are you wearing... where are your shoes... tossed in the corner or ready to slip on... where's your keys... oh, on the kitchen counter at the other end of the house?
What are you going to grab to take with you... are you looking for your glasses... where's your clothes... do you just grab the the Bug Out Bag (BOB) and run... or take cover... or use your alternate escape route... where do you re-group... who do you call... are you panicked? angry? frustrated? Are you thinking about all the things you should have thought about before 1:50am?
Preparedness is a continual process in our family. It's a lifestyle with standard operating procedures and routines that are always being assessed, modified, and improved. We have plans, we test them, we discuss them, and we ask, "What if?" My little gal is sixteen and in less than two years she will likely be off at college. Hopefully, she'll assess her unfortunately disarmed situation and make a plan, develop routines, and have her BOB ready to go.
I can't tell YOU how to be prepared as every situation is different, but I can suggest you look around and assess your situation. You could probably make a hundred improvements in your preparations and readiness without spending a penny. Think about it, and if you have a family or others living with you... discuss it with them 'cause nothing messes up a good plan more than someone who has no idea what the plan was.
I've often heard it said, "If you're going to carry... carry every day." Well, if you're going to prepare... prepare every day.
So the homework for today's class of Sheepdog 101: It's 1:50am... are you ready?
1:50 am- doors and windows are all locked, my loaded pistol on my night stand in ready to pick up position, cell phone cherged & next to pistol, eye glasses close to those with a glass of water ;) Extra clip in drawer below pistol.
ReplyDeleteThe same scenario on my hubbies night stand. Shot gun loaded next to his side of bed which is closer to bedroom door.
When we have played out a scenario of hearing a bump in middle of night... hubby is front w firearm, finger off trigger, and I'm backing him up looking in all directions as second pair of eyes. There's been a couple times we've really been awaken by something and carried out this plan as practiced just w a little more nerves involved. All was good.
We aren't ready for every emergency plan but we're pretty close.
Thank you for this post, I will come back to read it again.
I would say, outside of the obvious things carrying a gun does for me, helping me be more aware and prepared I. General has been a huge side benefit.
ReplyDeleteI was always fairly well prepared in term of doors locked, flash light, fire extinguisher etc, but not a plan for how to handle different scenarios.
In fact, just the opposite. I never even thought about anything bad happening and if I did, I quickly got it out of my mind because I didn't want to be scared.
Now, I realize the more of a plan I have, the less scared I am. Not that I think of every thing that could happen, but my mind thinks differently now and I feel more prepared even for the things I haven't prepared for, if that makes sense.
@agirlandhergun... I think like sassy said... you can't be prepared for everything, but the more you prepare... the better of you'll be...
ReplyDeleteI think living out in the country like the gals and I do... knowing the sheriff's deputies, fire department, and EMS is always 10-30 minutes away... losing power couple times a year for a day or two or three...
we just have more frequent reminders than a lot of folks about why we need to prepare and consider plans for less than ideal situations...
Dann in Ohio
Great thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI know I'm a bit behind the times, but I posted a link to this article (and another one you did) on my wife's blog, hope you don't mind. Let me know if I've stepped over some invisible, radioactive blogger-courtesy line, and I'll make adjustments!
http://www.lowryplace.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-it-hits-fan.html
Feel free to link to my posts... thanks for stopping by...
ReplyDeleteDann in Ohio